Most underwater owners would not walk away

More than half of homeowners with a mortgage say they would not walk away from their home if it were underwater -- i.e., they owed more than the home was worth -- according to the results of a periodic survey by foreclosure data company RealtyTrac and property search site Trulia.com. Harris Interactive conducted the national survey online between May 10-12. The survey had 2,596 participants: 1,690 homeowners (1,137 of them had a mortgage) and 832 renters. Of those homeowners with a mortgage, 59 percent said they would not walk away from their home regardless of how much they owed on it compared to what it was worth. The rest would at least consider walking away, but only 1 percent said abandoning the home would be their first choice if they couldn't pay the mortgage. About 69 percent of homeowners participating in the survey said they would try to get their loan modified first. See related articles:Survey: Foreclosures seen as bargainsShrinking pool of foreclosure...